Dall-E2 Enters the Microsoft Space: This Design App is the Proof

As Dall-E2 enters the Microsoft's space, the integration makes it only a natural progression

AI image generator Dall-E2 is about to find a new host. Microsoft will integrate the AI-based image generator with Microsoft Designer, a video-making tool to be available within the Microsoft Office suite. Till recently, Dall-E2 which is looked down upon as an app meant for only playing around with text prompts will be a part of Microsoft's AI graphic design app. Designers and video makers who find it difficult to search for unique images can now leverage Microsoft's Designer app to compose videos with imagery of their choice. Microsoft's venture is seen as a step toward competing with design major Canva, which boasts more than 100 million active users.  During the Ignite Conference held recently, Microsoft announced that it would integrate Dall-E 2 into the yet-to-be-released Designer app as well as existing Bing and Edge. As Dall E 2 enters Microsoft's space and given the long association of Microsoft with Open AI, the integration makes it only a natural progression in the generative AI sphere bringing the AI image generator much closer to the masses. The Dall E integrated tool, for the time being, would be user-centric but might scale up to cater to business use cases. With Microsoft having collaborations across numerous schools and offices, it is very much apparent that the AI-enabled tools would have huge patronage. The step has come at the right time or rather late as many companies from the advertising sector to architecture are putting Dall E to work, inspiring never seen before ideas.

Microsoft Designer- What Can be Expected

With Designer, now it will get easier for users to make motion graphics more creative and targeted, and have access to over 100 million user-generated images with drop-down menus and text boxes for personalization and customization. Using pre-built templates such as photos, icons, and headings available on the internet one can easily add a dimension to the story for easy upload onto content-sharing platforms like Instagram Stories Facebook ads, LinkedIn, etc. Clearly, Microsoft through its new AI-enabled tools is out to demonstrate its dominance, and the fact that it has recently hiked the Microsoft Office subscription prices proves its determination in toppling the leaders like Google, which is only moving up the ladder with its Workspace crossing 8 million subscribers up from 6 million as of April 2020. While mounting commercial costs, companies are constantly thinking of cutting down costs, Microsoft's growing clientele and adding Designer to commercial Office subscriptions might lend it a leading edge over major competitors. "No company is better positioned than Microsoft to help organizations deliver on their digital imperative so that they can do more with less," as Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said on a conference call with analysts in July.

Microsoft Takes Measured Steps

While 3 of the 4 AI-powered tools Clipchamp, Binge and Edge announced by Microsoft are openly available, only a select few have access to Microsoft's Designer. However, interested users can join the waiting list for the free preview. After making the app available to general users, Microsoft said, it will maintain a free tier, along with premium versions for Microsoft 365 Personal and Microsoft 365 Family subscriptions. However, Microsoft is making the Image Creator available only in select regions so as to gather feedback before releasing it at full-scale. Microsoft apparently is cautious about bringing the trial under open access as it fears content abuse, which Dall E has been a miserable victim of. Responding to questions as to how Microsoft is planning to address the issue, it said it had taken steps like deploying filters that limit the generation of content that violate content policies, including additional questions to block offensive and sensitive topics, and technologies that enable generate diverse results. Addressing the patent and copyright concerns around image-generating apps, it said users will have complete rights over the content they generate and the company wouldn't in any way claim ownership of prompts, inputs, or captions at any stage of creation or post submission.